Barn Tour of Saucon Valley Barns

The Saucon Valley Conservancy will host its fifth annual barn tour on Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 9:30 am until 4:00 pm. Rain or Shine. Tickets $20
in advance, $25 day of tour. Proceeds benefit the Heller Barn Preservation
Fund. For information: SVConservancy@aol.com, www.sauconvalleyconservancy.org,
610-216-0566.

The
day begins with registration and a book signing at 9:30 am at the Beethoven Waldheim Club, 1984 Waldheim Road
in Lower Saucon Township,
followed by two lectures at 10:00 am.  This is a great opportunity for the public to
tour a selection of historic barns that are an important part of the area’s
rich agricultural history and learn about history and unique barn features from
two widely recognized experts on Pennsylvania
barns.  Robert Ensminger and Gregory Huber will present an overview of the barn
highlights.

The
extensive self-guided and self-paced tour of local barns featuring homesteads
spread among the rolling lands of the valley starts at 11:30 am.   A host at each barn will be available to show
you around. The tour ends at 4:00 pm. A great diversity of barns
will be experienced and will expand upon the excitement that was created during
the past tours that included homestead barns of many types, shapes and sizes.

Proceeds will be earmarked
for the preservation and restoration of the Michael Heller Barn.

Tickets: $20 advance, $25 at
door.   Click here for
ticket order form

Children 12 and younger are free
but each child must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

PHOTO
ALBUM    http://picasaweb.google.com/SVConservancy

Volunteer
and Sponsorship opportunities are available

PAST BARN TOUR GUIDE
BOOKLETS:

2007 Barn Tour Guide (pdf file, 2 Megabytes)

2008 Barn Tour Guide (pdf file, 2.4 Megabytes)

2009 Barn Tour Guide (pdf file, 2 Megabytes)

2010 Barn Tour Guide (pdf file, 8 Megabytes)

SPEAKER CONTACT INFORMATION:

Robert F.
Ensminger, 610-625-4671, is
the foremost authority on the Pennsylvania Swiss-German fore-bay barn. His book
first published in 1992 – the second edition came out in 2003 – is a widely
regarded classic – The Pennsylvania Barn – Its Origins Evolution and
Distribution in North America. Bob has been
studying the Pennsylvania barn since the mid 1970’s and has examined thousands
of the barn type not only in his native state of Pennsylvania but in more than
fifteen other states. Bob is a retired professor from Kutztown University
where he taught for more than 15 years. He taught high school for many years
before he taught at the college level. He lived in Lenhartsville in northern Berks County
where he ran an antiques business out of his old farm. He is now fully retired
and lives in Bethlehem
with his wife Margie both of whom are avid travelers.

Gregory D.
Huber, 610-967-5808, is
the president and principal owner of Past
Perspectives, a historic and cultural resources company based in
Macungie, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Since 1971, Greg has
specialized in studying pre-1830 architecture of Holland Dutch and Pennsylvania
Swiss-Germans, having examined more than 4,000 barns and 2,500 houses. He is
author of nearly 100 articles on barn and house architecture and is the
co-author of two books – the second edition of The New World Dutch Barn (2001)
and Stone Houses – Traditional Homes of Pennsylvania’s
Bucks County
and Brandywine Valley (2005). He won the Alice Kenney
Award in 1997 for furthering education of Dutch-American culture and the
Pioneer America Society’s Allen Noble Book Award in 2003 for best edited book
on material culture in North America. His
Dutch Barn Research Journal, published from 1991 to 1994, was one of the very
first publications devoted exclusively to barn research.

The Saucon Valley Conservancy, an all volunteer non- profit
organization, encourages historic preservation in our area and teaches people
of all ages about our rich heritage.  For
a glimpse back in time, please stop by and visit the Michael Heller Homestead, an
eighteenth century farmstead, listed on the National Register of Historic
Places, located at 1890 – 92 Friedensville Road (Water Street) in Lower Saucon
Township, Northampton County.

Tours of the historic Heller Homestead are available
by appointment.

Proceeds
benefit the Heller Barn Preservation Fund

HELP US
SAVE ANOTHER TREASURE.

Call for more information
610-216-0566

http://sauconvalleyconservancy.org